Look north or south and it won’t take long to find something that might interest you at Meet Me on Main St. Russell. Tinkess Photo

RUSSELL – Meet Me on Main Street didn’t get its start in Russell, but on Tues., July 15th, the community took it to a whole new level.

This year the event was held on Concession Street, between Maple Street and York Crossing, approximately a half kilometre in length. Concession Street was closed to vehicular traffic between 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. There was no shortage of parking as you could park at the Russell Arena, Russell High School, and École élémentaire catholique Saint-Joseph, as well as many other smaller locations. The New York Central Recreation Trail also made it easy to get there by bike or on foot.

Russell is a community that still has a small-town feel but with bigger city sensitivities, and this combination reveals itself in almost everything the community does. There were things to entertain younger children in the form of activities and bouncy play structures, but there was also a teen zone, something that was unique to Russell’s event. The teen zone was organized by the Teen Advisory Committee and was located on the lawn of the Russell Public Library, right next to The Tandem Axle Road Show, who provided the musical entertainment.

There were, of course, many similarities between Meet Me on Main St. Russell and each of the other events hosted in North Dundas, the main difference being the scale. The tents and displays could be broken into three categories.

There were six Russell Township departments represented, each looking to answer questions from residents or gather their feedback. The departments were:

  • Communication and Human Resources
  • Fire Services
  • Infrastructure
  • Parks and Recreation
  • Public Library
  • Public Safety and Enforcement

The second category was Local Community of Not-for-Profit organizations, and there were 21 of those, including the Embrun Historical Society, Kin Club of Russell, Russell 4H, and Russell Minor Hockey, to name just a few.

The third category included businesses or food vendors, and there were 21 of these as well. There was a substantial amount of seating available, but there didn’t seem to be many who wanted to dine under the hot sun, but many were observed choosing the takeout option after spending some time seeing what there was to see before heading home to dine in air-conditioned comfort. Can’t really blame them, it was hot.

As we have come to expect Meet Me on Main Street, wherever it happens to be, is very organized, and very orderly, people just coming and going, stopping to chat, to ask questions, gather information and enjoy each other’s company. Not surprisingly, some of the busiest tents were those that enjoyed a bit of shade.

Meet Me on Main Street is supposed to strengthen community engagement and provide support for local businesses and organizations. Russell, in 2025, can check off both those boxes, proving that you don’t need to forget where you came from to understand where you’re going.